Everyone knows how restaurants have been suffering due to the COVID-19 restrictions and shut downs. But there’s something you have probably never thought of. According to a recent article in TapInto.net, employees of restaurants are just as annoyed by recent mask policies as you are.

First of all, it goes without saying that masks are just as annoying to them as they are to you. In fact, even more so, since, unlike patrons, they don’t get any time during their shift where they can slip it down and breathe. Most importantly, according to the piece, they hate being the mask police more than you hate that they ARE the mask police.

It’s annoying for them to have to constantly tell people to pull their masks up when they walk around the restaurant. They know that they are taking away from your dining experience. They also know that if they don’t, and they are reported, they can lose their jobs as a result of the restaurant being shut down. They’ve even lost out on tips because they’ve had to ask people to mask up properly.

Bottom line is, if you’re going out to eat, just accept the mask rules or else stay home. No one hates wearing a mask or questions its efficacy in stopping a virus more than I do, but I also don’t wanna make more trouble for New Jersey restaurants than they already have.

And speaking of trouble, the article goes on to give a few more tips on how we as New Jersey residents and patrons can help the troubled restaurant industry. First, they suggest that you call the restaurant directly to order items for delivery, as third-party services like Door Dash and Uber Eats cut into their profit— sometimes to the tune of 30%!

Also, don’t ask for anything at the bar. ANY THING! Even though we all know by now that you can’t sit at the bar to eat or drink, it is also prohibited for bar employees to hand you anything over the bar like a check or even a napkin! Asking for them to break this rule is not only frustrating, but can get the restaurant in trouble when somebody rats them out.

Remember that everyone in the restaurant is probably making less money. If you really want to help New Jersey restaurants as we all should, please take all of their tips to heart.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Judi Franco. Any opinions expressed are Judi's own.

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